On Thursday, the 16 locations were announced, including 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.
Digital Desk: As the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup were revealed on Thursday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Canada, Mexico, and the United States to prepare for a football "invasion." The first-ever World Cup to be co-hosted by three countries will also feature a record number of teams, up from 32 to 48, as the competition returns to North America for the first time since the finals in 1994.
On Thursday, the 16 locations were announced, including 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.
All U.S. games will be played at NFL venues that are home to NFL teams, with the likes of the $5 billion SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the New York Giants' 82,000-seater MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, tipped to host the final.
Reportedly, 60 of the tournament's 80 games will be played in the United States, including all knockout games from the quarterfinals onwards.
Along with the cities of Monterrey and Guadalajara, Mexico City's renowned Azteca Stadium, which hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals, was one of three Mexican venues.
The Canadian games of the tournament will be held in Vancouver and Toronto.
Meanwhile, Infantino stated that the 2026 finals in the United States would surpass the 1994 finals in every way, including the biggest total attendance.
"2026 will be a lot bigger. I believe that this region of the world is unaware of what will occur in 2026," Infantino said.
"These three countries will be reversed and then turned again. The rest of the world will invade Canada, Mexico, and the United States,"
"A huge flood of excitement and happiness will wash over them."
Infantino expressed his optimism that the World Cup would help to enhance the growth of football in the region.
"You are a world leader in many fields in this world. However, you are not yet, in the world's most popular sport, soccer or football. Your goal must be to be the best in the world at the world's most popular sport," he said.
Notably, the choice of which locations will host major events like the World Cup final and the first game has yet to be made.
"We still have to talk about it, and we still have to look into it. We'll make a decision as soon as possible," Infantino added.
Although, Infantino disclosed that due to the wide geographical spread of the tournament's staging across North America, FIFA was considering placing teams in regional "clusters" to reduce travel.
"When dealing with a vast region like North America, we have to think about the fans and make sure that teams are playing in clusters so that spectators and teams don't have to travel long distances," Infantino added.
The United States has many venues, including several locations that hosted games in the 1994 World Cup finals. However, no stadiums from the 1994 tournament will be used again in 2026.
The Dallas Cowboys' giant AT&T Stadium in Arlington and the Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium are two such sites. The Super Bowl has been held at seven of the 11 locations announced on Thursday.
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs, was also selected for the game.
Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, and Philadelphia were also included on the list of NFL venues.
But, Washington, D.C., was missing from the venues list. It implies that the 2026 World Cup will be the first since the 1974 finals in then-West Germany to be held without a host city.
After a "very competitive" bid process, FIFA's chief competitions and events officer, Colin Smith, acknowledged Washington's absence.
"This was a very difficult decision. It's difficult to imagine a World Cup coming to the United States without the capital city playing a significant role," Smith said.
Meanwhile, Smith stated that some NFL stadiums might require minor changes to broaden "pinch spots" but that stadium capacity would not be harmed.
"Likely, the number of fans who will be able to enjoy this World Cup will be double what we've had previously," he said.
"The 1994 World Cup holds the attendance record — and it's likely to be blown out of the water," he added.
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